Weekly Household Quick Tip

Tackling this daily task in the Weekly Household Planner:

Vacuuming

This post is not really about actual vacuuming, but what I’m going to go over will actually make your task of vacuuming much easier.   It is about Cleaning your Vacuum and maintaining it.

I thoroughly clean my vacuum about 4 times per year; meaning I take the vacuum apart, wash the pieces with warm, soapy water and air dry.  I also clean the beater brush that tends to get cluttered with wrapped around pet hair, human hair (yes, I have a teen with long, long hair!) threads and other strings that can get stuck in the brush.

I did not put this task on the rotation of the 2012 Weekly Household Planner, but it will be strategically placed in the revised version for 2013, along with other tasks that I do, but did not include.

Here are a few tips and steps for cleaning your vacuum and making it work better for you:

1.  Before you do anything, make sure your vacuum is unplugged!

2.  Find your owner’s manual so you will have information on how to remove your filter and take apart pieces that can be cleaned.

3.  I like to take my vacuum apart outside, as excess dust and dirt tends to find it’s way everywhere.

4.  Remover your filter and wash it under warm water.  Depending on the type of vacuum you have, follow the instructions that are given in your manual.  My Dyson vacuum can be taken completely apart and washed out.  I love that their is no bag to mess with and that I can see that it is clean – I love this vacuum!  A quick funny story on this – I’ve had Dyson vacuums for over 10 years and bought my first one when I was cleaning houses as a second job when I was a single mom.  I feel in love!  I actually wanted a new one about 3 years ago and my hubby bought me one for my birthday and it was the best birthday present ever – seriously!  It is a chunk of change, but if you are looking for a new vacuum, check Craigslist or ebay for a gently used one, I sold me previous one on Craigslist and that person was very happy!  Back to cleaning the vacuum.

5.  Make sure that all the pieces are thoroughly dry before putting it all back together.  I make sure that I do not have vacuuming planned for at least 2 days when I clean my vacuum, as I want to allow enough time for the pieces to dry in order to avoid a dusty, icky mess.

If you take the time to clean your beloved machine on a regular basis, it will run smoother and cleaner – which makes everyone happy!

Do you have a favorite vacuum?

Photo Credit

Still in the “Back To School Shopping” mode?  Grab this coupon to save a bit of money on some shoes for the family.

Tagged as: busy mom, cleaning tips, home maintenance, household tasks

Susan Heid is the mom behind The Confident Mom where she loves inspiring Christian moms to make small changes managing their home and family life giving them more time, less stress and stronger family relationships! She enthusiastically wears the hat of mom, step-mom and foster mom to 4 awesome kids – ages 20, 16, 12 and 3; is married to her very own prince charming, loves coffee, cloudy days, and does think the bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle.